Too Long
by yellowgalaxygirl
Summary: She guessed he would think she would wait forever for him. But she decided that three years was too long. Chapter 2 Updated! Rated 13 for language. RR
1. Default Chapter

TOO LONG  
  
She stood at the open door and watched him silently. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice her presence. 'Nothing new there' she thought to herself. If he had seen her he surely would have noticed the expression on her face. Usually she had a look of adoration when she looked at him or even when she thought about him. Tonight was different. It was replaced by a look of reluctant goodbye.  
  
She wished it could be different, hell she longed for it to be different, but no matter what she did it was never enough. She had given him an ultimatum last week and was tired of all the games. Every time she would get close he'd push her away, and every time she would withdraw he would drag her back. This time was different. This time she meant it.  
  
How many hours had she wasted waiting for him to make up his mind? She had warned him one day it would be too late, that she would move on. Like usual he thought her to be overdramatic. She sighed. She had spent the last three years trying to convince him why it could work between them. He had finally outlasted her; she had finally given up hope, to believe that it couldn't work between them. She allowed herself one last look before she strode away purposefully. She headed towards the doors willing herself not to look back. It was time to look ahead, to move forward.  
  
She arrived home fifteen minutes later and comforted herself with a glass of wine. She did not allow herself to dwell on what could have been, instead she found herself dreaming of what could be.  
  
When she woke up around noontime, she decided to take matter into her own hands. She decided to take the advice of her co-workers who told her to get a life. She surprised herself at how excited she was about it. Grabbing the phone, she called the only person who could help.  
  
"Hey Anna." Sara greeted when her friend picked up the phone. "Remember what you asked me about last week?" She reminded her neighbor. "Go ahead." She said, hoping she wouldn't regret her decision. "Yeah, I'm sure." She assured her. "Thanks." She finished and hung up the phone. She set out to clean her house and other necessary chores that had to be done. She was famous for her compulsive cleaning and was surprised when the phone rang a few hours later.  
  
"Hello?" She answered cheerfully, grateful for the interruption to put down the vacuum cleaner.  
  
"Hi. Sara?" The male voice questioned. "That's me." She confirmed.  
  
"Hey, My name's Paul, my friend Craig told me I should call you." He introduced himself nervously. Sara smiled. Anna sure worked quick. Her husband, Craig, had been begging her for months to let them set her up with some of his friends. She had always turned him down until now. "Yeah, Anna told me about you. What's up?" She continued the small talk. "I was wondering if you were free for dinner this evening. I know it's short notice..." He trailed off.  
  
Sara quickly jumped in. "Sure that sounds great. Tonight's my night off anyway." She agreed enthusiastically.  
  
"How about we meet at 6:45 pm at Le Bistro?" He suggested. "Great. I'll see you then." She said. She hung up the phone and checked her watch. 2:15 pm, it read. "If I hurry I can get my nails done before I need to shower and get ready." She liked that idea, and contrary to her nature, left the rest of the cleaning undone. She threw on some sandals and hurried off to the mall. She couldn't remember the last time she had spent any money on herself.  
  
She walked in and made an appointment for half an hour later. She let herself be drawn back into the mall for some harmless window-shopping. Within twenty minutes she managed to purchase a new dress and accessories to celebrate her new outlook on life. She even managed to relax while her nails and toes were being done. She went home and put some music while she got ready. She decided to leave her hair curly after getting out the shower and even put on more make up than usual.  
  
She arrived at Le Bistro at exactly 6:40pm; she was always early no matter the occasion. She waited patiently until an attractive man in a blue suit with a crisp white dress shirt and a cranberry tie approached her. "Sara?" He asked shyly. "That's me." She replied.  
  
"You must be Paul. Nice to meet you." She spoke sincerely as they shook hands. 'Wow. Anna was right, he's gorgeous.' She admitted to herself as she took him in as they followed the hostess to their table. Once the sat down they settled into a nice conversation about hobbies, work, and favorite movies. Sara felt herself relax as she realized he was not a psycho killer. Dinner went smoothly until she heard her pager go off, much to her chagrin.  
  
"Sorry, I'll be just a minute." She apologized as she raced off to call the office, furious at the interruption.  
  
"Sidle." She spoke as he answered his phone. "Sara, I need you to come in right away. We got multiple dead bodies at Ridgeway golf course. We need all the help we can get to process the scene." Grissom instructed her. "You'll be working with Warrick, so look for him when you get here."  
  
'So much for a night off.' She sighed. 'Why do they even bother? And they shouldn't complain about all my over time.' She mumbled to herself.  
  
"Sara?" Grissom's voice brought her back to reality, as she realized he was waiting for her answer. "Sorry, yeah I'll be there as soon as I can." Can you get him to bring me a jumpsuit, I won't have time to run home." She requested her supervisor as she reluctantly agreed and hung up.  
  
'She's not at home.' Was his first thought as he hung up the phone. 'Where the hell was she?" He wondered for a moment. He quickly got back on track to the case they were headed out on. He spotted him walking past and called him in to his office. "Hey Warrick!" The dark haired CSI stopped and entered the room.  
  
"What's up Gris?" He asked casually. "Can you bring a jumpsuit for Sara?" Grissom requested without looking up. "Sure thing." Warrick replied. "I'll meet you over there." He said and left without a reply from the supervisor.  
  
He didn't mind bringing a jumpsuit for Sara. He wondered why she needed one though. 'Maybe she finally got a life.' He thought to himself. 'Good for you girl.' He congratulated his co-worker as he set out for the golf course. 'It should be an interesting night.' He imagined what Grissom had thought of Sara's request. He knew Grissom was too observant to miss that fact too.  
  
She sighed as she returned to explain things to Paul." I had a nice time, I'm glad you called me. I'm sorry I have to leave." She admitted honestly as she gathered her purse.  
  
"Can I call you again?" He asked before she left. "I'd like that." She replied before hurrying off to the scene.  
  
Sara took the fifteen minutes to get to the golf course to process everything. 'Damn Grissom for assuming I was at home.' She swore to herself. She stopped when she realized it was really her fault. She had never tried to have a life before, why would they assume anything different? She guessed he would think he would wait forever for him. Won't he be surprised when he sees me? She thought bitterly. She thought over the dinner and the fact that she actually enjoyed herself. Usually she didn't mind going into work but tonight she was definitely disappointed.  
  
She pulled into a vacant parking space and grabbed her kit from her trunk. She cautiously made her way out onto the fairway and sought out Warrick. She was so focused on her task at hand she didn't notice the looks of shock that Nick and Catherine had sent her.  
  
"I guess she really wasn't at home." Catherine commented to Nick as they watched Sara arrive. When he didn't answer, she grinned to herself and waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello? Nicky." She snapped her fingers and he jumped out of his slight trance. 'Damn, I didn't know she had legs like that.' He commented to himself.  
  
"Give it up Stokes." Catherine chided him. "I wonder what Grissom will think?" She asked, looking over her shoulder to their supervisor.  
  
"Have you seen Warrick?" Sara questioned her two co-workers. "Yeah, out there." Catherine pointed to a spot a hundred feet away. "Right thanks." Sara said as she began to walk away before they could question her where abouts.  
  
"Nice dress Sar." Nick commented before whistling appreciatively, though belatedly. "Chill Stokes! Sara is mine tonight." Warrick hollered from his spot.  
  
Sara chuckled at their banter. Grissom however did not. His eyes were fixated on her as she gracefully strode across the field. He was amazed at how effortless it seemed for her to walk through the grass in those heels. That was not all he noticed. He noticed how the dress accentuated her gentle curves, and falling a good few inches above her knees revealing long, lean legs. He noticed how she had left her hair curly, a direct opposite of her usual professional straight hairstyle. And how the moonlight seemed to catch the gleam in her eye, covered by more make up than usual. He wondered what the occasion was that she was so dressed up for. But more importantly he wondered who or what put that gleam in her eye that was usually reserved for him?  
  
"Sorry you had to come in on your night off." Warrick said sincerely as Sara met up with him. "Yeah, just one of the perks of the job." She returned sarcastically. "Come in on your night off and then they complain about overtime."  
  
Warrick chuckled at her unusual demeanor. Sometimes she was pissed when she got called in, but the majority of the time she was excited. Her analytical mind needed it, he supposed. But tonight was neither of the two. She looked disappointed. "Hot date?" he teased as he picked fibers off the victim's body for analysis. He wasn't expecting a reply as he continued working.  
  
"Yeah." She answered. He certainly wasn't expecting that answer. "So tell me." He declared after a moment of shock, looking up at his partner. "After we get me in some overalls." She shot back with a grin. He escorted her to his Denali eager to get this story out of her.  
  
"I was at Le Bistro.." She started to explain, but he interrupted. "Le Bistro?" he repeated. "Wow. Must have been a hot date." He commented.  
  
"Some guy my friend set me up with. We were having a nice time until we were interrupted." She tried to hide her hostility, but she didn't fool him. However, he decided to let it slide in order to ask more questions.  
  
"Why this sudden urge to start dating?" He quizzed seriously as he waited for her to take pictures.  
  
"Lots of reasons I guess." She snapped a photo and moved to a different angle. "I realized we have different objectives. I love my job and all, but I would like to get married and have a family." She confessed. "I'm tired of waiting for Grissom to make a move. At this rate we might get married right before he dies." She remarked with a roll of her eyes. He smirked at her exaggeration. But she did have a point. If some hot chick were interested in him he'd be all over that right quick. "Maybe it's just not meant to be." She opined matter of factly.  
  
"And you're okay with that? You just decided you're done with him?" He questioned in disbelief, trying to discern if she really meant it. It all seemed so sudden. She had been chasing after him for three years, and she finally decides to give up. He wanted to make sure she didn't do anything in haste, something she might regret.  
  
"I am okay Warrick. And it's been something I've been struggling with for a while now. I'm at peace with my decision. Really. I'm the only one who has to live with it."  
  
"You don't think Grissom will be affected?" He wanted to know. She looked at him in bewilderment as she contemplated his question. "I don't know, but he made his bed and now he has to lie in it." She commented. "I'm done. It's obvious he isn't interested, and it's time I get the hint." Sara said finally.  
  
"So what if Grissom were to ask you out right after shift?" Warrick challenged, trying to see how fierce her newfound freedom was.  
  
"I'd tell him I have plans." She replied smugly, unperturbed by his question.  
  
"Really?" He asked in amazement.  
  
She nodded as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah." She said with certainty.  
  
"With who?" He demanded, but not harshly. He watched for her reaction to see if she was bluffing.  
  
Shooting him a conspiratorial look, she glanced over her shoulder at Grissom before whispering, "You." She stated simply. He was still in shock when she asked, "Wanna get breakfast?" He was taken aback by her flirtatiousness but agreed nonetheless. This was a side of Sara that wasn't seen by many. But by her own confessions, it seemed like that was about to change.  
  
"Sure Sar." His laughter echoed through the quiet darkness of the crime scene. Grissom looked up at the sound and wondered what was going on over there. Sara and Warrick seemed to be having a good time. Not that he begrudged them, he was confident in their abilities, but he wondered why he was feeling a bit jealous.  
  
"So I'll see you at Murphy's in twenty?" Warrick confirmed as their victim was wheeled off to the morgue. "It's a date." She said with a wink as they walked back to the others.  
  
"How about we all get breakfast?" Grissom suggested to the team, hoping it wasn't too obvious that he was dying to spend some time with Sara. Catherine and Nick quickly agreed, wanting to help their supervisor.  
  
"I'm wiped." Warrick lied, faking a yawn. "I'm headed to bed, I'll see you tonight." He acknowledged, walking away from the group. "Later man." Nick shouted. Warrick just nodded as he got into his car.  
  
"How about you Sara?" Catherine questioned the brunette. Sara had changed back into her dress. "Sorry, I got plans." She apologized as she threw her dirty jumpsuit into the back of her car. "Catch you guys later." She called as she slammed the trunk shut and hurried to the drivers seat.  
  
"Plans?" Nick repeated. "Since when did Sara start having plans?" He asked in disbelief as he watched her drive away. Catherine and Gil were just as surprised as the Texan.  
  
It wasn't until she got on the road did she allow herself to collapse in giggles. That's how she arrived at the restaurant too, much to Warrick's amusement. He watched her walk in, her eyes scanning the crowd for him. If she was serious about dating, he knew it wouldn't take much effort to find one. She seemed oblivious to the stares she was receiving as she found him and slid into the booth across from him.  
  
"I wish you could have seen their faces War. It was priceless." Sara said between breaths. Warrick just stared at her. He had never seen her laugh this much. Ever. It was shocking, yes, but not unpleasant. He kinda liked the new Sara. If he had doubted her before, now he could see she was serious. She seemed to have a huge weight off her shoulders, much more free.  
  
"So what else do you have planned?" He wanted to be in the know, as the waitress brought over the coffee he had ordered as soon as he walked in the door.  
  
She took their orders and hurried back to the kitchen as Sara continued. "Well I told my friend Anna that I'm on the market, and she'll take it from there. She's been begging me for months to let her set me up with some of Craig's friends." Sara told him as the waitress brought their food over.  
  
"All this to prove what Sar?" He wondered seriously. She calmed down enough to hold a reasonable conversation. "And to whom?" he asked looking her straight in the eye.  
  
"It's not about anyone but me. I'm proving to myself that I don't have to wait for Grissom. There are plenty of people out there who find me desirable." She replied as she bit into her blueberry pancakes.  
  
He couldn't argue with that. He could name at least four people he knew who would ask her out, and that's just in the crime lab.  
  
"So should we prepare Las Vegas for the arrival of Sara Sidle?" He teased her, letting her know he was in her corner all the way. She laughed and held up her coffee mug in toast, Warrick raised his as well and waited for her toast. "To Operation Freedom." She suggested and it was his turn to laugh. "Operation Freedom." He repeated and drank to that. 


	2. Science Experiment

Too Long  
  
Science Experiment  
  
A/N: this is my first CSI fic, so please review! Thanks.  
  
She hadn't known she was missing out on anything. But now she does and she doesn't want to go back to her old ways. Overtime, take-out, Blockbuster. She had forgotten about the world that existed outside her apartment.  
  
She knew she was still young. There was no need to panic yet. But watching him she had seen what could be. She didn't want to wake up one day and realize that life had passed her by unknowingly.  
  
She wanted what every woman wanted. A family. A husband to love her and to hold her. She was lonely; tired of going to bed alone, waking up alone, eating alone.  
  
That's why she hid herself in the night shift. She'd always have plans at night and sleep during the day. She was fulfilled by her work but even her passion for that could not overshadow the absence of passion in other areas. She kept herself so busy that it left her little time for hobbies or activities, let alone relationships.  
  
After a frustrating night at work she wanted to have someone to talk to. Someone who would just sit with her. Someone who knew her. She always feared that if someone knew her they couldn't love her. But now she knew the opposite was true. No one could love her because they didn't know her. She wouldn't let them.  
  
But as days passed by she was slowly letting down her walls, letting down her guard. For the first time since she arrived in Las Vegas, Sara Sidle was going to enjoy herself.  
  
She looked in the mirror and smiled at her appearance. A maroon tee shirt set off her dark complexion and brown hair. The short denim skirt showed off her legs. The outfit was casual enough for a date at the Stratosphere. The others would laugh at her for sure for doing such a "touristy" thing, but she didn't care. She was going to indulge herself. She grabbed her purse and left to meet Jonathan.  
  
"Sorry I'm late." Sara declared as she rushed into the break room. Her apology was sincere, though her bright smile showed she wasn't stressed about it. Nick was amused at her disheveled appearance. She was always so composed, so professional. And very compulsive about being on time.  
  
"The elevator at the Stratosphere broke and we had to take the stairs." She continued as she poured herself a cup of coffee.  
  
"Sar-don't you know, no self-respecting native of Las Vegas would be caught dead at one of those tourist traps." Nick teasingly admonished her.  
  
"Which explains why no one here volunteered to take me when I first moved to Las Vegas." She retorted, laying on the guilt. To their credit, the others looked appropriately chagrined.  
  
'Touché.' Catherine thought with a grin as she watched her two co-workers spar verbally. She enjoyed times like these when everyone was relaxed, conversations seemed to flow, and tension was at a minimum.  
  
"And since I intend to stay in Las Vegas," She continued, "I figured I should experience everything first hand for myself. Consider it a science experiment."  
  
"Are you going to bill the lab for your experiment?" Grissom commented, entering the discussion. Sara pretended to think about it.  
  
"Don't encourage her Gris." Nick complained. Sara elbowed him as she sat next to him on the couch.  
  
"And the date?" Warrick interjected, using her good mood to try to get some information out of her. If he had to wait until after shift, well he didn't think he could.  
  
"A science experiment gone horribly wrong." She replied with a grimace and a roll of her eyes.  
  
Grissom felt perversely glad that the date had gone bad. But he still didn't want to hear the details. "Shift started fifteen minutes ago. How about we process some crime scenes?" He reprimanded his team. The group immediately went silent at his rare outburst.  
  
"Alright then." He continued, as he handed out the assignment slips. "Catherine and Nick, you're with me. We have a mass grave site to investigate."  
  
"Lucky us." Nick muttered softly as he followed Catherine out. If Grissom's current mood was any indication, shift was going to be agonizingly long tonight.  
  
"Warrick and Sara, you have a drowning out on Lafayette." The pair walked out quietly, he waited until they reached his Denali and out of the wrath of Grissom to interrogate her.  
  
"So tell me about this science experiment." He requested as they made the short drive to the end of the strip.  
  
"Well first off, Anna told me he was 35. If he was younger than 45 I'd be surprised." He laughed at her distress.  
  
"Then he spilled his drink." She said, trying to keep the smile off her face. "On you?" Warrick asked surprised, as he looked for stains on her clothing. Looking for any reason to check her out in her un Sara like outfit.  
  
"Nope." She replied with a smirk. He waited for the reply. "On the big guy standing in front of us. Seriously Warrick, this guy must have been 6ft 3 and at least 220 lbs." Now he was full out laughing. She tried to shoot him her famous glare but she too gave in to laughter.  
  
As she wiped the tears out of her eyes, he noticed the dark bruising on her knuckles. He almost drove off the road, he was so concerned. "What happened?" He asked somberly, all traces of laughter gone.  
  
"Well that big guy was about to beat the living crap out of him, so I stepped in." Sara admitted honestly.  
  
"You? 107 lb. Sara Sidle?" Warrick sputtered in disbelief. "Hey. I took self-defense classes." She said in her defense.  
  
"Remind me not to get on your bad side." He remarked as they reached their crime scene. "You learn something new everyday." He said more to himself than to her. The officers on the scene escorted them to the back where the pool was.  
  
"So what happened to that guy?" he asked as they waited for the pool to drain. "I might have broken his nose." She confessed sheepishly.  
  
"Sara!" He exclaimed in mock horror. "What if he presses charges?" He asked concerned.  
  
Sara snorted her disconcern. "And have everyone know that he got beat up by a 107 lb. girl?" She stated matter of factly. "Good point." He conceded with a chuckle.  
  
"Did you see the look on Grissom's face though?" Sara queried. "Priceless." She answered her own question.  
  
"And round one goes to Sara Sidle." Warrick announced to the empty crime scene, even going so far as to raise her hand over her head in victory.  
  
The two managed to get through their investigation without further silliness, even managing to beat the rest of the team back to the lab. They had ruled that the drowning was accidental, the blow on the back of the head confirming that he hit his head on the diving board and never came back to the surface.  
  
"How was your case?" Sara queried Catherine when the other team made it back to the lab an hour later. "Messy." Was her brief reply as she hurried off to the showers.  
  
"I hope you guys had a better time than we did." Nick groused as he joined the pair in the break room.  
  
"Slam Dunk." Warrick boasted with a grin. "What happened Nick?" Sara quizzed the Texan.  
  
"It wasn't the case that was the problem. It's Grissom. He's in a foul mood, I'd avoid him if possible." He warned the two. His advice came not one minute too soon as Grissom entered the room and tersely requested Sara to join him in his office. The boys gave her thumbs up for good luck. She took a deep breath before following their boss out.  
  
"What's going on?" Catherine demanded as she walked into a somber break room a minute later.  
  
"Grissom called Sara in to his office." Warrick replied. "And you're sitting in here?" She asked incredulously. They didn't know what she meant until they saw her stand unobtrusively outside his door. With matching smirks, Warrick and Nick quickly joined her. This was one conversation they didn't want to miss.  
  
"I don't want any more excuses Sara." Grissom confronted her as soon as she shut the door. She was startled at his demeanor. Nick was right, he was in a foul mood, she thought as sat down.  
  
"I apologized already Gris. Jeez, it was the first time I was late. It's hardly my fault the elevator broke and I had to walk down God knows how many stairs." She spoke softly, heeding Nick's advice not to set off the already angry supervisor.  
  
"I just don't want your extracurricular activities affecting your work." His calmness belied the anger that radiated from him. But she wasn't dense. Nor could she remain impassive.  
  
"Do you really believe that?" Sara exclaimed in disbelief. He didn't respond so she continued on with her self-defense. "I don't see you giving Nick speeches when he comes in late or when Cath can't get a sitter for Lindsey." She argued logically. There was no reason for his irrational behavior.  
  
"This is different Sara." He stated with a sigh. 'This I got to hear.' Sara thought to herself. "Oh really. Why?" She sat back with her arms crossed and waited for a reply.  
  
"This should be interesting." Nick commented to Warrick as they waited for his explanation.  
  
"Watch it Grissom." Catherine whispered, wishing she could tell her colleague to cool down before he said something he would regret.  
  
"It just is." He answered simply. His non-answer was the last straw. Sara jumped out of her seat. "Great. Another one of Grissom's in depth explanations." She shouted in frustration as she began to pace the small office.  
  
"For once will you just say what you mean! I'm sick of all your bullshit. I don't know what to do about this Sara. It just is Sara." She echoed his words back at him angrily. She wasn't just going to let him run all over her for no good reason. The old Sara might have, but she wasn't going to anymore.  
  
"Fine!" he shouted angrily, his first response in a few minutes. "I don't like seeing you whoring yourself out to men!" He roared. Sara felt like she had been slapped in the face. She stared at him in stunned silence, willing the tears not to fall. Never had she been more humiliated in her life. The silence in the room was so thick, even the ears outside the office didn't breath for fear that they would be heard.  
  
"All those times you were worried about crossing the line with me." She began softly. "Well you just did Grissom." It took all her will power not to quit on the spot. Even Grissom was shocked at the offensive words that came out of his mouth. But not enough to apologize. At this moment he couldn't even form a coherent thought.  
  
"Tell me he didn't just say that." Warrick pleaded with Nick and Catherine. They were just as dismayed as he was.  
  
The trio moved away inconspicuously just as the door opened and Sara stalked down the corridor. "I'll go." Warrick decided and ran to catch up with the distraught female.  
  
"You're not driving." Was all he said. She turned at the sound of his voice. The compassion she saw in his green eyes knocked down the last of her composure. She threw herself into his arms and sobbed. He wrapped her tightly in his arms, wishing he could take away some of her pain. When she finished her tears, he took her by the hand and escorted her into his car. She didn't ask any questions or make any complaints. Sara sat quietly staring out the window, not surprised when they pulled up to his house.  
  
She took in her surroundings, noticing that Warrick's house was more personal than Nick's. Nick's apartment was a straight up bachelor pad while Warrick's radiated warmth and the feeling of home. Pictures hung on the walls, magazines and books stacked on a coffee table surrounded by comfortable couches. She was so involved in her inventory she didn't notice when he brought her a glass of wine and forced her to sit.  
  
Sara quickly downed the glass and pulled her feet up on the couch to rest her arms on her knees. Warrick sat there patiently, waiting for her to compose her thoughts, knowing she would confide in him when she was ready.  
  
"You don't think I'm a whore, do you Warrick?" She whispered fearfully. She could care less if Grissom thought so; he was so out of touch with his staff anyway. She was more upset that he questioned her work ethic. And she knew that Nick and Catherine and the rest of the lab wouldn't think that either. But Warrick's opinion meant more to her than anyone else's. She could handle their rejection, but she didn't think she could handle his.  
  
"God, no. Sara." He answered quickly as he tried to reassure her. He had seen many sides of Sara but this one scared him. She seemed so vulnerable and unconfident. He could kill Grissom for hurting her.  
  
"It's not your fault you know that right? You have every right to have a life and to go out." He spoke gently and she nodded that she understood.  
  
"I wanted to quit." She confessed softly. "No one would have blamed you." Warrick agreed, "But I'm glad you didn't."  
  
"What upset me the most was that Grissom could question my work ethic." She stated in disbelief. "I know." Was all he could say in reply. They sat in silence for a few minutes until her eyes began to flutter closed. Warrick repositioned her on the couch and covered her with a blanket before shutting off the lights and going to bed himself.  
  
"Just because you're pissed off, doesn't mean you can just take it out on us." Catherine declared harshly as she made her way into Grissom's office. He might try to intimidate the rest of the staff, but she was undaunted. They had been friends for too many years not to tell him when he screwed up.  
  
"Were you eavesdropping?" his voice tinged with anger as he challenged her. "First off, no the whole lab could hear you calling Sara a whore. And second off you've been treating Nick and I, and everyone else in the lab like shit tonight, just to let you know."  
  
"Is there a purpose to your visit?" Grissom wanted to know. He just wanted some peace and quiet, not another confrontation.  
  
"Gil," she said quietly, trying another tactic to get his attention. "We've been friends and colleagues for fifteen years. You tell me when I screw up and vise versa. You screwed up." She informed him. "I hope Sara is more forgiving than I am." She stated honestly. "And you would be lucky if she didn't hit you with a harassment suit." Catherine informed him truthfully. "You had three years to do something Gil. You can't blame her for moving on." His anger seemed to dissipate so she decided to leave it on that. "If you want to talk..." she let her offer hang as she left his office.  
  
'I can blame her for moving on.' He tried to convince himself but his effort was futile. In truth, he wasn't angry with Sara, though he acted like it. He was angry with himself. 'And I don't know what to do about it.' He said with a sigh. 


End file.
